The invention relates to an oil pan for use with an engine.
A typical oil pan is disposed beneath a cylinder block and crankshaft of an internal combustion engine. Such an oil pan is configured to receive oil that drains or is otherwise exhausted from the cylinder block, crankshaft and/or main bearings that support the crankshaft. The oil collects in a sump of the oil pan, and is then pumped from a sump pick-up location into a lubrication system associated with the engine. The oil pan may also be provided with a horizontal baffle that inhibits oil from moving away from the pick-up location during xe2x80x9chigh Gxe2x80x9d maneuvers, such as sudden brake and/or acceleration events.
During operation of the engine, some oil that would otherwise drain into the oil pan may instead become entrained in crankshaft windage, which is air that rotates with the crankshaft. To address this situation, the engine may be provided with one or more oil scrapers that are attached to the main bearing caps with fasteners.
Under the invention, an oil pan for use with an engine having a crankshaft includes a pan body adapted to be disposed beneath the crankshaft for receiving oil that is exhausted from the engine. The oil pan further includes a vertically extending baffle attached to the pan body.
In one embodiment of the invention, the baffle is adapted to scrape oil from crankshaft windage associated with the crankshaft. In addition or as an alternative, the baffle may cooperate with the pan body to define a channel for receiving oil, and the baffle may be configured to shield oil in the channel from crankshaft windage. Furthermore, the baffle may be integrally formed with the pan body.
The oil pan may further include an additional baffle attached to the pan body. With such a configuration, the baffles may cooperate with the pan body to define first and second outer channels and an inner channel disposed between the outer channels.
Further under the invention, an oil pan is provided for use with an engine having a crankshaft, wherein the crankshaft produces crankshaft windage when the crankshaft rotates. The oil pan includes a pan body adapted to be disposed beneath the crankshaft for receiving oil that is exhausted from the engine. The pan body has a floor and side walls that cooperate with the floor to define a shallow portion and a deep portion in fluid communication with the shallow portion. The oil pan also includes first and second vertically extending baffles disposed at least partially in the shallow portion of the pan body and attached to the floor. The baffles are spaced apart from each other so as to define first and second outer channels and an inner channel disposed between the outer channels. The first baffle is adapted to scrape oil from the crankshaft windage, and the second baffle is adapted to shield oil in the second outer channel from the crankshaft windage.